What if?
by rodentz13
Summary: Lucius asks the same old questions to the same old girls Draco dates. What are those same old girls? Money-seeking, good-for-nothing, love-sick girls. Until it was Hermione, that was how Lucius warmed up to her. That was how they knew she was the one. Just because of 'What-if' questions.
Lucius sent Hermione an owl asking for tea. Being the polite bookworm she has always been and him being her future father-in-law, she accepted. He sat her down and poured her some tea before pouring himself one.

They sipped on their tea for a while, but Lucious looked at Hermione with a questioning stare. "What if?" He asked her.

"Pardon?" Hermione replied, "I don't understand."

Lucius sipped on his tea and asked simply, "What if you suddenly have a jolt of doubt on your wedding day? What if that jolt of doubt became a certainty?"

Hermione narrowed her eyes, "That 'jolt of doubt' would always exist. But it will not be doubt that I don't love him –in fact, I love your son very much. Instead, it would be uncertainty that he doesn't return the favour. I believe this feeling is quite mutual. But I love him with all my heart.

"Also, that certainty will never exist. Maybe when I was but a child, just not now. I found what he is inside and that's all that matters to me."

Hermione never noticed the content smirk Lucius started to wear through her speech. He clucked his tongue and cocked his head, "What if he does? What if my son –as you say- 'doesn't return the favour'?"

Hermione lowered her head slightly and held back the tears that sprung from that idea. "Then I'll let him go." She choked slightly, "If he doesn't love me back then it was never meant to be. But I hope we could still be friends."

Lucius took it in with unoticeable awe, never in his interrogations has any women said such things. Snapping back to reality, "What if your friends never accepted him? What if you had to choose?"

"My friends would always accept him even if they weren't crazy with him in the start. They'll have to deal with it, because if they are my true friends they would want me to be happy.

"And if they took Draco, I don't think I would ever be happy again." Hermione started to fight back tears that came, "I am grateful for my friends but I love Draco. And I think they just have to deal with it or stop being friends. It's true, that they haven't accepted it from the start, but once they saw me with him they tried to. And I guess that's what true friends are for.

"So I guess I'd choose Draco."

"Last question, Miss Granger: Why?" Lucius demanded, giving her an icy cold glare, "Why do you love Draco? What do you want? What for?"

Hermione smiled slightly at the memories that plowed through her where she spent with Draco. She shrugged, "I don't know, sir. I suppose it was that Draco has began to grow on me as we started to coverse. Sir, I am not going to lie by saying Draco is perfect.

"Undeniably, Draco has a lot of flaws, like his past. But I have learnt to forget it, like someone oblivliated me. He is not perfect, he is quite arrogant and sometimes an annoying prat. But he is also funny and just the one I have fallen for.

"I could have had been with Ron but it was never meant to be, was it? And yet I am now with Draco." She released a low chuckle, "How ironic, isn't it? Falling for someone you hated. And I want nothing from Draco, just his love and devotion. I guess Draco is this companion that I can actually talk to, he's one of the ones I can actually talk to without the him not catching up with me."

This one is meant to be, Lucius said, even if she is a muggleborn. He thought of the dumb girls he interviewed for years.

XXX

For years now, he called his son's lovers for tea. Asking the same exact questions he asked Hermione.

The first was that Parkinson girl, the one that was dumb to know his son never loved her.

"What if?" He asked her, "What if you suddenly have a jolt of doubt on your wedding day? What if that jolt of doubt became a certainty?"

The pug-faced girl shook her head and smiled, "I know for certain that I will love Drackie-Poo forever. And ever and ever and ever and ever and ever…"

"What if he doesn't love you?"

The girl glared at him. "How would you know?" She demanded, "Drackie-Poo is in love with me! Just like I am with him!"

"Last question, Miss Parkinson: Why? Why do you love Draco? What do you want? What for?" Lucius sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, knowing this was a false trail.

"Drackie-Poo is handsome! I want his all! I want everything!" The girl exclaimed with enthusiasm."

"Y'know, Parkinson, I never loved you." Young Draco called from a dark corner, leaning on the wall with his side and his hands shoved in his pockets. "And I won't give you my all, nor everything. Money can't buy everything, nor can I."

"I know you do love me," She huffed, "You just don't want to say it."

"I'm not playing hard to get!" Draco shouted, "Get lost!"

"Fine, Drackie-Poo. I still love you and I will put my effort in making you mine." She scowled, but she spun her heel and left.

It was a long time before another came, for years Draco has taken the option of being single and the girlfriends he had gotten was those one-nightstand ones.

Girls with potential was scarce, like that Greengrass girl. She responded with finesse and devotion but she was honest as hell.

In her answer to Lucius' last question she replied, "I just need him to make babies –I mean, I just want his love."

Then there was a big cross painted on her face. Literally. The spell was casted by Draco, again in the dark corner leaning on the wall, but this time he was clutching his wand. The paint probably left her face around ten days later.

XXX

"Sir?" Hermione asked curiously, "Sir?"

"Please pardon me, I was just in deep thought." Lucius gave her a genuine smile, "I think I should say something."

"Oh, what may that be?"

"Welcome to the family," Lucius answered proudly, "You're are the perfect match for Draco. What do you think, son?

Gasping, Hermione turned around in her seat. Her eyes widened when she saw Draco in the same position as he was in past interrogations. In the dark corner, leaning on the wall. But this time, he was grinning madly.

"I believe so, father." He said calmly, walking towards them.

"How long were you watching?" Hermione asked him, with an eyebrow raised.

"Just the whole thing," He said. And he kissed Hermione on the forehead, "I love you."

Hermione smiled at Draco, "I love you too, Draco."

Lucius watched the whole exchange with a joyful expression, he was never so proud of his son before.

XXX

It's the day of the wedding day and as Hermione had predicted, she was scared and doubtful of Draco's love for her. It was a small accusation but she swept it away like last year's news.

Draco watched from the alter as the beautiful Hermione stride to him with his father-in-law perched next to her. That may be me someday, Draco thought, I can't wait and yet, I don't want it to happen…

Hermione and her father reached Draco and the Minister and he began talking like everytime. But it was special.

"Hermione Granger, do you take Draco Malfoy as your loving husband?" He asked her, "Will you love him until your dying day? Will you support and cherish him?"

Hermione laughed, "Of course I will. Who do you think I am?"

The Minister turned to Draco, "Draco Malfoy, do you take Hermione Granger as your loving wife? Will you love her until your dying day? Will you support and cherish her?"

Hermione's stomach became hollow as her most dreaded moment crept forward silently. Draco's face held a grim expression, "Till death do we part."

The Minister's face broke into a huge grin, "You may now kiss the bride."

Draco grabbed Hermione's waist as pulled her in their first kiss as a newly wedded couple. "I was scared," She whispered, "I was scared you would reject me."

"Me too." He whispered back, "I love you."

"And I you."

Eveyone was filled with happiness as they watched the couple's exchanged, they rejoiced.

It was now turn for the speeches and Harry got to talk first, "Draco and Hermione was a very unlikely couple. If you told us this when we were younger we probably would've hexed you for thinking it! But now –as we are in the present- I would like to give the couple my blessing and I hope you will be happy forever."

It was Ron's turn now and he said, "I guess I would like to give you my blessing. And Hermione, I just wanted to say that… the Ferret is a great match for you and you are happy together. So yeah."

For Mr Granger's speech, he said, "Today was the day I most dreaded: The day I would have to share my daughter to another man. But I would like to say that I if I had to share with anyone else I would have refused. I guess I had to share once she went to Hogwarts, but nevermind. You go great together and you have your mother's and my blessing."

Lucius stood in the front of the crowd and beamed proudly at his son, "I am proud of you, son. In all of my life and my interviews, never have I seen such a woman that you love and loves you. To tell the truth, I wasn't happy with your choice at first. But as I began to spend time with my newly daughter-in-law, I realized that she is the perfect one for you. I am proud, son, of your choice."

Hermione gently laid a kiss on Draco's cheek, "How 'bout tonight?"

Hermione sighed dreamily then kissed him full on the lips. "I can't wait. I love you, Draco."

"I love you too, Hermione."

She released a low chuckle, "I don't think Lucius would accept this if he haven't asked those questions."

"The 'What-If's?" Draco asked as Hermione hummed yes.


End file.
